


Black Hill Starters II

by littlesolo



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-05-15 10:39:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 17,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5783173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlesolo/pseuds/littlesolo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Black Hill one shots based on rp starters and prompts sent to me</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Missing Morning Fix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SOMEONE keeps emptying out the coffee machine and beans. Maria has a suspect, and this just confirms it. "You know there are better ways to ask me out."

Someone is messing with her coffee.  This is the greatest of all offenses when it comes to Maria Hill.  She does not have super soldier serum running through her or an Iron Man suit to help her keep up.  All she has is caffeine.  And someone is fucking with it.  

First the beans go missing.  That’s just being mean, but Maria can deal.  She makes a trip to the nearest Whole Foods and grinds the beans there.  

When she gets back the decanter is missing.  C’MON!  

* * *

This is funner than expected.  The first day she’s swiped the coffee filters.  She hadn’t known that it was Pepper who made sure Maria’s coffee maker was on every morning and suspected Maria didn’t know either.  That’s just the sort of thing Pepper does because she’s a nice person.  However, this means telling Pepper of her plan so that she doesn’t interfere anymore.  Pepper gives her an odd look, almost like she knew…. whatever.  

Stealing the beans was easy.  Stealing the decanter was just her being through. 

When it comes to her sitting in Maria’s chair sipping a latte…. that may have been rubbing it in a little.  Maria sets down her bag.  

“You know there are better ways of asking me out you know” says Maria.  Natasha cocks her head, acknowledging the point and then takes a sip of her drink.  Then she stands up, directly in Maria’s personal space.  

“What would you suggest?”  Maria seems to think about it for a moment and Natasha gives a lazy smile.  Suddenly, Maria reaches around her and grabs the latte.  Natasha frowns as Maria takes a long sip.  She can’t help but think it’s adorable how Maria closes her eyes as she drinks or how she lets out a happy hum.  She keeps her eyes closed for another moment and then looks down at Natasha.  

“Asking me out for coffee wouldn’t be a bad start”

“And if that was my plan all along?” asks Natasha.  

“It was faulty.  Jeopardizing my coffee just gets you on my shit list.”  Natasha pulls out a carmel latte out from it’s hiding place beneath the desk.  It’s Maria’s favorite.  

“This get me off that list?”  

“Yeah.  But I make a mid morning coffee run too.  It’d be nice to have some company for a change.”  

“I’ll be here.”


	2. Photo Albums

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Natasha learning more about Maria from Aunt Peggy/Angie or both.

Natasha isn’t sure how she ended up here.  She suspects Sharon had something to do with this, Kevin would be too afraid of what Maria or she would do.  

She had just stopped by because Sharon had said she needed an old book picked up.  Natasha now knows that was a con.  Somehow she’s been left here with a photo album full of little Maria.  That was Angie’s doing.  Peggy had politely rushed her out of the room after seeing that Angie had her cornered.  Now Peggy was off “making her a cup of tea” and probably having a hushed conversation with Angie.  

Natasha flips through the pages.  In the first few pages, Maria sports more injuries than Natasha is comfortable with, but her smile is shy but genuine.  These photos are along with various school portraits.  As the album goes on though there are more photos that are of Maria and Sharon.  Kevin is included in a few but given the occasional bit of finger covering part of the lens, she’s betting he’s the one behind the camera.  

These photos also have Maria sporting a few bruises but she’s willing to bet these are sports related.  There are also a number of awards.  A few academic but mostly sports related.  Track, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey.  But as there were more pictures of the young trio, the awards began to fade.  It seemed Maria found other ways to occupy her time than after school sports.  

Young Maria smiles like Natasha has seen only a handful of times.  

“Darling wasn’t she?” asks Peggy.  Natasha looks up to see Peggy standing there holding two cups of tea.  Natasha takes the one outstretched to her.  

“Still is” comments Natasha.  

“Yes, she is.  Her family wasn’t good by any measure but we tried to make up for it” says Peggy quietly as she sits down next to her.  

“Let me guess, you teaching her to box, Angie stuffing her with food, and Sharon getting her into all sorts of mischief with Kevin in tow.”  Peggy smiles.  

“Something like that.  She lived with me and Angie, but I designed the escape route that she used to sneak out, myself.”  Natasha laughs.  She can’t quite picture Maria scaling down the side of the building.  A regular building, yes, but not Peggy Carter’s house.  “She loves you, you know” comments Peggy.  

“I know.  I just…. this smile here.  I want to make her smile like that” says Natasha.  

“You do.  Natasha, you do.  But that’s not all you’re seeing, is it?”  Natasha looks back down at the album in her hands.  

“We…. we were taught about Americans you know.  Maria… doesn’t talk about her childhood.  At least not before she was with you and having adventures with Sharon.  I don’t… ask or pressure her to talk about it, just like she doesn’t ask me about Red Room, but I don’t… I don’t want to hurt her like her family did.  How can I do that if I don’t know?”  It’s something that has gone through Natasha’s mind numerous times.  The fear that she’d inadvertently do something that Maria’s father or uncle had done.  She’s no good with real relationships, never really had one before,  so her biggest worry is that she’ll screw it up somehow.  Either by accident or self sabotage.  

“Sweetheart, you could never hurt her that way.  You pay attention to her, you listen, you make her laugh.  You make her happy.  Red Room may have taught you that you all were above love, but it simply isn’t true.  It’s just a bit harder because you’ve never experienced it.  Not sincerely and unconditionally.”  

“They taught us love is for children”

“Well, given Maria’s early childhood, that’s not necessarily true either” says Peggy sadly.  

“This was a set up you know” comments Natasha after a sip of her tea.  

“Sharon or Angie’s doing?”  Natasha raises an eyebrow.  “Angie is fiercely protective of Maria.  She’d never insult her food by poisoning it to get rid of you, but I wouldn’t put it past her to run you over.”  Natasha smirks.  

“I heard about their first dead body…”  

“Oh god!  That..!  I have no idea what any of them were thinking.  Especially Angie…” mutters Peggy.  

“Especially Angie what?” asks Angie from the doorway, hand on her hip.  

“Especially you volunteering to help get rid of a dead body when the three miscreants showed up with one!”  

“And what would you have done?  You wouldn’t have done anything different” states Angie.  Peggy huffs because she can’t argue with that.  

Eventually Natasha leaves, but only after going through the album with both Angie and Peggy.  As well as making plans to join them for dinner this weekend with Maria.  


	3. Little Emergencies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not everything is a life and death emergency.

Maria looks up from her desk and through her office window she can see Natasha leaving one the conference rooms.  She’s walking funny… Oh no.  Maria recognizes that gait.  “Computer, unlock door” calls Maria, and then she’s focused on work at hand.  

* * *

Gotta pee, gotta pee, gotta pee.  Phil Coulson would not stop talking this morning!  It was a briefing!  In and out ten, twenty minutes max.  No, the man had to go on for a hundred and twenty minutes!  Natasha had had to pee five minutes in but had assumed he’d wrap it up soon!  God, new protocols and security measures… who cared?!  It’s not like Captain America, Hawkeye, or Black Widow could exactly go around unnoticed, they had scan tags built into their gloves and everything else was pretty much  biometric scans anyway!  

Finally, they’re out of stupid and pointless meeting, and of course all the stalls in the regular bathroom were all occupied.  All six of them.  God, her bladder is about to burst!  Maria!  Maria, Maria, Maria!!  Natasha shuffles her way over to Maria’s office.  The door is thankfully unlocked and she zooms past Maria at her desk and into her private bathroom.  

* * *

Maria hears a flush a few minutes later.  Natasha comes out shaking her damp hands and collapses onto Maria’s small couch.  

“I didn’t hurt anyone and I held my tongue” announces Natasha, disgruntled but a little bit proud.  Maria looks up at her.  “I’ve been told that sometimes I have a temper” clarifies Natasha.  

“Not by me” says Maria.  “Bathroom reasons are completely valid.  Phil just likes to think he’s in control of the Avengers.”  Natasha scoffs.  Maria is the only one aside from Fury that can command the Avengers.  Maria’s glare can have Thor quickly sitting up straight in his chair.  Natasha lets out a sigh.  

“Lunch?”  

 


	4. Paparazzi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “Give it a bit of time and I’m sure it’ll pass.”

“I’m sure everything will cool down soon” assures Pepper.  “Give it a bit of time and I’m sure it’ll pass.”  

“Yeah, like a kidney stone” groans Maria into her hands.  

She scrubs at her face.  Natasha stands awkwardly besides Pepper.  At one of the recent PR parties someone had gotten a photo of Maria and Natasha kissing.  

“I’m being raked over the coals in front of the committee…” gripes Maria.  “It was a private moment!”  Natasha lets out a breath.  She may be able to keep secrets, but she didn’t want to be treated as one.  “Natasha, I am so sorry” says Maria.  

Now Natasha is throughly lost.  She gives Pepper a look, but Pepper just touches her shoulder and leaves, closing the door behind her.  

“Why are you sorry?”

“Because it was probably some idiot hired by a senator to get dirt on me.  I’m not ashamed, but it’s not fair that you’re dragged into a smear campaign against me.”  Maria’s head is tilted back in exhaustion so she doesn’t see the small smile on Natasha’s face.  Until New York, Natasha’s entire existence had been pretty much a secret.  Her past was made public knowledge after the Winter Soldier.  After New York there were autograph requests as well as death threats.  

Maria was different though, or at least Natasha has been hoping so and so far Maria was proving her right.  Even when it came to Clint and his family, his family was still a secret so it was just another one she was part of.  Maria… didn’t mind being seen with the Black Widow in public.  Even if that’s not who Natasha really was, that’s how most people saw her.  

“Pepper’s right.  It’ll blow over soon.  Some celebrity will do something stupid, with any luck it’ll be a politician, and you’ll be yesterday’s news” says Natasha as an idea enters her mind.  

“So what are you going to do?” sighs Maria, finally looking at her.  

“Me?  I’m going to talk to the jerk’s editor and see if I can get a high quality copy of that photo.  Our first official photo” says Natasha with a sweet smile.  

“Wait, what?”  

“Hey.  It’s our first photo that isn’t from someone’s phone.  Granted our phones and cameras are top of the line, but this is from a professional photographer…” continues Natasha.  There’s a smile creeping across Maria’s face.  

“I’d hardly call him a professional…”  

“Besides, with any luck he has a facebook or instagram and some embarrassing photos that he’d hate to be made public….”

“Natasha, I mean it.  I’m not ashamed” says Maria firmly.  

“Yeah, but it’ll be fun” answers Natasha with a grin.  


	5. A Number in Common

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can you write another Black Hill and Root/Shaw crossover? I've just marathon-ed the entire show for the first time and I have a lot of feelings... (Collaborating to help a number (who is of interest to S.H.I.E.L.D.) maybe?)

This can’t be happening.  This shouldn’t be happening.  And yet…

All Maria and Natasha had been doing was walking their dog Tucker.  He was actually more of a shared dog since Sam took him sometimes but whatever.  How were they supposed to know that Tucker and Bear were from the same litter?  The dogs spot each other on the path and go bounding towards each other.  That’s when Maria sees the owners of the other dog being dragged the leash, she lets out a long suffering sigh.   _Why?_  Natasha is busy trying to keep ahold of Tucker’s leash and doesn’t notice yet.  At least until she spots a familiar face.  

“Root?”  This really…. she doesn’t have the energy for this right now…

“Maria?”  

“Hey Sameen…” says Maria.  

“So I’m not the only one you let call you by your name?” teases Root.  Shaw rolls her eyes.  

“Commander Maria Hill, former boss” says Shaw by way of introduction.  

“And team mate.  Nat, I take it you already know her friend?”  asks Maria.  

“Root.  She was an unexpected wrinkle in a job I had.  Tasered me” explains Natasha with a fond smile.  

“Friends ever since” finishes Root with a smirk.  A smirk that Maria is used to seeing on Nat’s face.  Maria knows of Root’s reputation so it makes her slightly nervous.  

“We have a number…” says Root.  

“A number??” repeats Natasha not following.  She notes that Maria seems to know what’s going on though.  

“We have an understanding.  Your group handles the numbers, we take the-”  

“Murderous robots?” interjects Root with a raised eyebrow.  

“That was the boys fault” explains Natasha with a shrug.  Boys and their machines.  

“The number?” prompts Maria.  

“Harley Keener?  One of yours” answers Shaw.  

“A gifted?” asks Root, more than just a little curious.  

“No, just someone who checks in.  He’s like a Stark protege” answers Maria.  

“So when does the fun start?” asks Shaw.  

* * *

Harley has never liked guns.  This time the amount of gunfire was practically deafening.  At the sound of the first shot, he’d hit the deck and covered his head.  Just like the Mechanic had advised.  Calling him Mr. Stark sounded weird for some reason.  

He recognized Maria Hill but not the black haired woman that came with her.  He spotted Black Widow for a moment but then a woman with brown hair was pulling him outside.  He moves only when Maria gives him a nod.  The gunfire stops then there’s an explosion.  The woman with brown hair grins.  

* * *

Harley is safe.  Tucker and Bear have a scheduled play date once a month.  Maria talks guns and weapons with Shaw and Natasha shares laughs with Root.  

Clint has no idea what is going on but has never been more afraid.  


	6. Profiled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “Everyone calls you the fun sucker behind your back.” -With a Criminal Minds twist?? With maybe Reid???

So much for that idea.  It had been a conference where FBI profilers from the BAU would be discussing their methods and SHIELD would be giving an update about HYDRA and their intentions.  SHIELD’s advice mainly consisted of “do not interact or pursue HYDRA, just speed dial us” but that was to be day two.  There were various other types of law enforcement there as well, CIA, NSA, all of the alphabet soup.  

Natasha said she would pop in and see what all the fuss was about, she saw behavior analysis as a bunch of guesses and not all that different from her reading a mark undercover.  Maria had agreed she’d stop in if she had a moment.  

Turns out, she had about an hour to kill so Maria slips into the auditorium and spots Natasha in one of the back rows.  She flashes a smile and takes a seat next to her, the chairs have those small tables you can pull up from the side and use as a desk.  Maria can’t remember the last time she saw one of those…maybe back in academy?  According to her watch, she’s missed the first twenty minutes.

That’s when Maria starts listening to what the young lanky profiler with a mop of hair on his head is saying.  He’s talking about sociopaths and what makes them such efficient killers.  He looks like a twenty something trying to look like an adult with his wrinkled dress shirt and tie topped of with a pair of Converse.  

“Recently, we’ve discovered that sociopaths can be created in large groups.  We’ve seen this before in cults with the group mentality and conditioning but never to such an efficient degree….”  

No.  Nope.  We are not doing this.  Next to her, Natasha seems to have paled.  Maria has her phone out in a second.  This is a STARK convention center so she has the upper hand, but he’s still talking.  

“Kill lights and mic to Auditorium 3B” says Maria and the lights are suddenly switched off.  There’s a murmur of confusion going through the crowd but Maria isn’t paying attention as she marches down the row towards the podium.  When she gets there she yanks the arm of the young profiler and pulls him out the side door and into the hallway.  His name tag reads Dr Spencer Reid.  She knows she’s being followed.  

“Hey!” shouts another agent, an Agent Morgan by his name tag.  The rest of the team follows but the only one Maria really knows is Aaron Hotchner.  

“You do not get to come and profile one of our best agents as a sociopath or anything else” hisses Maria.  

“I’m sorry if you took offense at my presentation.  The subject I was actually discussing was Red Room though” says the agent that Maria is mentally calling Twerp, and if he keeps pushing it, she’ll be saying it aloud too.  

“Red Room, the organization that raised Natasha.  We’re having enough trouble with the media without you adding your doctorate to it, thank you” growls Maria.  

“Maria-” tries Aaron, but she shakes his hand off and turns to him.  

“And I don’t care what your intentions are, you _do not_ come in and profile our agents!”  

“Maria, our initial presenter was called away so Reid offered to go first.  Had I known that his was the subject I wouldn’t have let him present.  I know that Natasha is working on-” starts Aaron.  Maria spins back to face the young agent.  

“Natasha is more than what your books, studies, and experience tell you.  She is _selfless_ and goes to fight aliens and psychotic robots on your behalf, on the world’s behalf and most still want her in a jail cell.   _She is a hero_ , so you can shove your fucking profile” growls Maria.  She hadn’t noticed that she was practically shaking with rage until she takes a breath to calm herself.  There’s a murmur of apology from the others but not from the young agent.  She supposes he’s the sort who relies on facts and stands by what he’s said.  Well, he’s lucky they aren’t on a carrier or she’d kick him over the edge.  That’s when she notices Natasha behind her, watching.  Casual as ever, leaning against the wall.  Maria walks past her and into a small empty office, Natasha following behind her.  

Once the door is closed, Maria lets out a sigh.  

“Nothing he said was true” says Maria right off the bat.  “You are not a sociopath.  You have a conscious and that you defect.  You are capable of loving, you have Cooper and Lila who adore you.  You have friends–.”  

“You know, everyone calls you fun sucker behind your back.  That though, you going off on that young agent was really fun to watch” says Natasha.  Maria blinks at her.  “Not… many people would have come to my defense.  Clint would but he would have just slugged the kid.”  Maria shifts nervously on her feet.  

“So you want to go catch the rest of their presentations?” asks Natasha with a grin.  Maria rolls her eyes.  "C'mon, it'll be fun."


	7. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “You don’t have to make things up to get people to like you.”

This is a nice place.  Not too swanky but not a diner or fast food place.  

Maria comes over sets a cup of coffee in front of her.  She’s nervous.  Not just because she’s on a official date of sorts with Maria, but because she doesn’t know what to do.  She told Steve at one point that she is whoever someone needs her to be.  Maria is like herself though, self reliant and capable.  She’s not sure who Maria would need her to be.  

There are the usual date topics, telling someone about yourself, but Maria knows her file.  This isn’t a con or a cover… which means she’s supposed to just be herself.  Well, at the moment, that’s confused.  Something that Maria seems to pick up on.  

“You don’t have to make things up to get people to like you, you know” says Maria over the rim of her cup.  Natasha gives her a shaky smile.  

“You know most things about me, you’re the one who reviews what missions I’m sent on.  And this is usually easier when I’m being someone else” says Natasha.  

“So what’s something that no one knows about you?” asks Maria.  Natasha tries to hide her discomfort.  She doesn’t like talking about her past, but Maria knows this.  “Something… recent.”  Oh.  Hmm.  

“I’ve been adopted by a cat.”  Maria pauses in raising her cup.  

“What?”  

“There’s this black cat that sits outside my place and waits for me to get home.  When I didn’t let her in, she stared at me through various windows” explains Natasha.  Maria gives a bemused look.  It’s making her nervous.  That… that was the sort of thing Maria meant, right?  

“Does this cat have blue eyes?”  asks Maria.  Yes, blue eyes that reminded her of Maria’s.  

“Uh, yeah why?”  

“Because I’ve been being stalked by a black cat.  She’s adorable.” says Maria.  Natasha rolls her eyes.  

“That’s so like Liho.”  

“Who?”  

“Oh, I’ve named her Liho.  The little sneak, making sure she has a better offer.  What do you call her?”  

“Haven’t decided anything.  Mostly just ‘hey you’.”  Natasha lets out a small sigh and smiles at Maria.  This wasn’t as hard as she thought.  She could do this.  


	8. Early Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “What was so important that you had to wake me up this early on my day off?”

_Knock, knock, knock_.  

Nope.  

 _Rinnnnnnng._  

Nothing doing.  

Maria burrows further beneath her blankets.  She is not getting up even if Nick Fury is breaking into her home.  Well… maybe she would then but she’d be throughly grumpy about it.  

“Hey you” whispers Natasha.  “Gotta a surprise for you.”  

“Is it another days leave?” groans Maria.  

“What is so important that you had to wake me up this early on my day off?  Can’t it wait?”  

“Nope, Come on!” coaxes Natasha as she tugs at the comforter and sheets.  Maria isn’t letting those go without a fight and a tug of war ensues.  Natasha winds up winning.  

“Are those Avengers pajamas?” asks Natasha incredulously.  

“They were a gift” growls Maria as she reluctantly sits up.  

“From who?” asks Natasha, her arms crossed in front of her.  

“Lila” calls Maria as she shivers her way over to the bathroom after grabbing clothes from her dresser.  

“Lila?!  As in my niece Lila?”  

“How many Lila’s do you know?  Also, she said she got the special for me, which is the only reason I wear them” answers Maria as she emerges from the bathroom and grabs a hoodie from her closet.  “Where are we going at this ungodly hour?”  Maria does a double take at the clock on her night table.  “It’s four thirty in the morning?!”  

“Yep.  C’mon or we’ll miss it” says Natasha as she tugs at Maria’s hand.  Maria stumbles along behind her.  She assumes Natasha snagged her keys, and is driving which means she can close her eyes for a few more precious minutes.  

* * *

“We’re here” announces Natasha some twenty minutes later.  Maria jolts awake and swipes at her mouth with her sleeve in case she’d drooled.  

“Where’s here?”  

“A good spot” says Natasha as she reaches behind her and tugs up a thermos.  Maria watches, astounded, as Nat then grabs a paper bag that contains four pastries.  

“What’s happening now?” asks Maria, she feels like she left her mind back in her bed.  

“I told you, it’s a surprise” replies Natasha.  Maria’s just about to ask for a hint when it starts.  The sun begins to come up over the hill.  It’s beautiful.  They sit in silence and watch the sun float into the sky.  

“Found it yesterday on a walk” says Natasha after a bit.  Maria ignores the fact that this has to be at least twenty miles from anywhere.  Natasha tends to go on long walks after bad ones and to see the sunrise means that Nat had been out walking all night.  She hopes she had Clint or Sam or someone pick her up after, but isn’t going to ask.  That’s not what this is about.  Instead she lifts a scone out of the bag and munches.  

“It wasn’t a bad one… I just… felt out of sorts for some reason” says Natasha.  

“You could’ve come by” mentions Maria but Natasha shakes her head.  

“I was feeling down and didn’t want to wreck your time off.”  

“You wouldn’t have” says Maria but Natasha just shrugs.  They’re taking things slow.  It’s not just a regular burn out feel, Natasha’s had those before and worked through them.  At least now she has Maria to help her work through things, but she’s a bit tongue tied and doesn’t know what to say.  The chocolate chip muffin seems to help though and so does Maria’s company.  


	9. Childhood Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Maria has to look after a child and Natasha likes to watch. Featuring the Babadook kid? I know you like him and I think he’s adorable…please? Maybe address both women’s fears about children?

It is her own opinion that she is horrible with children so she’s curious as to why Nick would make her the temporary guardian of a six year old boy.  Don’t get her wrong, she can be nice and smile and coax answers from children, she can be that nice agent that a child talked with for a moment.  More than that though and she’s out of her depth.  

Samuel Vanek is an unusual little boy.  He is what SHIELD would call gifted, and unfortunately, what the BAU would call a person of interest.  Maria spots Agent Hotchner at the scene when she pulls up with Natasha.  Natasha is here to make sure things run smoothly.  Maria is here because she’s objective, but instead of a “scene” all she sees is the home of the small boy.  

She is briefly taken back to her own childhood, when neighbors would make noise complaints against her father or her uncle, when she lived with him.  The police cars out front.  She remembers her Uncle’s home when it became a crime scene.  Peggy had taken her home after the hospital.  

They get out of car and make their way towards the house.  Agent Reid, the lanky young agent, starts to say something but Natasha’s glare has him practically swallowing his tongue.  

“Nat, whatever happens with the boy, let me handle it” says Maria in a voice that only Natasha can hear.  It’s nearly whispered but the fact that it’s an order is unmistakable.  

Maria spots the small boy right away, sitting on the couch with an old and worn stuffed toy in his arms and a backpack at his feet.  He looks as lost as she once did, watching the agents walk back and forth and try to get him to talk.  

She approaches him slowly, only after making eye contact with him and then kneels in front of him, careful not to touch him.  

“Samuel, my name is Maria Hill and I’m with SHIELD.  Do you know what that means?”  Samuel looks over at Natasha and then back at her.  Maria smirks.  “Yeah, I deal with the Avengers too.  But right now, I’m here to keep you safe and make sure you’re okay” she explains all this to him as gently as possible and addresses him as she would any adult.  She’s been briefed about his powers, and yes they are horrifying, but he’s still just a six year old boy.  

“Now, to do that, you have to come with me, okay?”  She hears Agent Morgan protest and start to stride forward.  Agent Rossi moves in front of Morgan as well as Natasha, but it’s too late.  Maria saw it coming.  The room is suddenly engulfed in shadow and there’s a sense of terror about the room.  The whole reason the BAU is here is because it’s the second time deaths like these have happened.  A pattern, according to the agents, but also just a six year old’s gift protecting him from HYDRA.  She maintains eye contact with him the entire time, but she thinks she sees a top hat out of the corner of her eye.  The shadows recede and then everything is back to normal.  She holds out her hand to him and he tentatively takes it.  She gives him a reassuring smile and leads him from the room after grabbing his bag for him.  Agent Morgan still doesn’t like that they’re taking the lead suspect and makes to intervene only to have Natasha step in front of him.  It gives him pause for only a second and then he’s moving forward again, only to have Natasha flip him on his back faster than he can blink.  Samuel sees this and his hand tightens in hers.  

* * *

Maria still doesn’t understand why her, but they’ve brought him to the guest quarters in Stark Tower.  She had Kevin scrounge up some of their old Legos from her place and is busy making him a PB&J sandwich.  He hasn’t said anything yet, but Maria doesn’t push.  She’s gotten a call from Nick and it will be two to three days before they can find the mother and set them up some place safe.  Natasha stays with them both as a further precaution.  

* * *

The Legos are a hit and Maria builds right along side him.  She knows that Natasha is watching them.  For threats, yes, but also…. because Samuel is different.  She’d laid the FBI agent out right in front of him, but for some reason he doesn’t seem afraid of her.  She’d afraid of him.  Not because of his powers, but because he’s so young.  Natasha tries, but she can’t remember being that young.  All she knows… all she remembers is dancing and training.  Had he been in the right hands, or even the wrong hands, he would have been trained to use his powers.  Maybe the kind of training Wanda had had.  

He sneaks smiles at her from beneath his blond curls.  Smiles that say he wouldn’t mind if she came and played with him and Maria.  It’s not the smile of some kid dazzled by the Black Widow, but someone who he trusts.  She edges closer but is afraid to get too close.  She knows she’s dangerous, what if his monster senses that too.  The monster acts as his protector.  He calls it his Babadook.  He hasn’t said that to them yet, hasn’t said a thing.  Not with words anyway.  It’s the little things.  He leaves his stuffed animal next to her while he plays with Maria.  He trusts her to watch over his prized possession.  When Phil shows up to try and horn in, Maria meets him at the door and refuses to let him in.  Samuel zips across the room and rather than the room filling with shadow and foreboding like before, he hides behind Natasha.  She gives him what she hopes is a reassuring smile.  

* * *

Maria can do meals and playing just fine, but she’s brought up short when he asks for her to tuck him in and read him a story.  She agrees but her eyes dart to Natasha.  She knows Natasha has had more experience with this.  Auntie Nat reads stories to Cooper, Lila, and Nate.  She reads him a story while he holds his stuffed animal close but he’s asleep before she’s even half way through.  Disney’s Sword in the Stone, the only Disney story she likes, knowledge being the greatest source of power.  She finds herself collecting and folding his clothes.  Such small socks and shoes.  The jeans are worn and the shirt covered in blotches and spots from him simply being a kid.  

“Memories?” says Natasha in the lounge.  Maria gives her a short smile and Natasha regrets asking.  

“Peggy collected me from the hospital and took me to live with her.  Told my Uncle that if he or my Father so much as looked at me wrong she’d shoot them. I’m just glad that despite everything he doesn’t have any blood stains on his clothes” replies Maria as she moves towards the room she and Nat will use for the night.  

“It was rather gruesome” says Natasha.  Maria shrugs.  

“At least he has something looking out for him.  I can’t imagine…. having that inside you and not thinking it’s some sort of curse.  How did he know his Babadook was there to protect him instead of death following him?”  Natasha watches Maria closely.  It’s like Maria isn’t even aware she’s speaking aloud.  Death following.  Natasha knows all about that because she was used to be the one bringing it.  The bodies in his home… one ripped in half and the other’s throat slashed.  Samuel always found in the next room with his eyes squeezed tight.  Both Maria and Natasha wonder how much he’d seen or if the Babadook had protected him from that too.  

* * *

Maria and Nat wake up early the next morning but find Samuel already at the table eating cereal.  The pajamas they’d gotten him a bit too large make him adorable.  

“Morning” he says.  Natasha smiles at him but Maria grumbles her way over to the coffee maker.  Later that day Maria is able to tell him that they’ve found his Mom.  It gets him talking.  Maria is glad since she was worried for a bit.  She knows what it’s like to have too much time with her thoughts.  

“I can do magic” he says shyly.  

“Yeah?  Can you show us some?” asks Natasha.  Maria smiles at Natasha getting over her nervousness.  Maria knows that Cooper and Lila aren’t just a fluke, that Nat is good with kids.  Samuel turns a quarter into a bird and then into a rabbit.  It’s amazing and the type that’s nice for a change.  No explosions or death or chaos.  It’s refreshing.  They’re tempted to release the bunny on the research floor, but Pepper stops them.  

Sharon brings his mom to the Tower and the reunion is nice to see.  Maria knows there’s a division that deals with children and she tries to stay away from there.  There are too many cases of having to children they no longer have parents or the other way round.  This is a sight not often seen.  Before he leaves he rushes over and gives both Maria and Natasha a hug.  

“Thank you” he says, then he’s scampering off with his Mom, he stuffed animal under his arm.  Maria knows that now she’ll have to field the calls from the BAU that she’s been avoiding.  They won’t be happy that their young pattern killer has vanished but she couldn’t care less.  Today was a good day.  They’ll check in on Samuel every so often, get someone to help him with his powers.  Wanda springs to mind again.  This is one of the reasons Natasha loves Maria, because rather than a threat or a weapon, she sees the shy six year old boy who has a secret love of magic.  


	10. Interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "I honestly just forgot I was supposed to reply to you hours ago.“

Natasha is mad.  She was supposed to hear back from Maria ages ago and when she hadn’t she’d begun to worry.  Hearing that Maria was alive and well at work just made her madder.  Until she learns that Maria is in interrogation.  

Natasha is a master interrogator and peeks in to see who Maria is with.  Conrad Wyatt, the leader of a group of particularly violent Inhumans.  Wyatt has mental abilities, if Natasha remembers correctly, so seeing Maria in there with him alone made her a bit nervous.  There was some young agent back here with her behind the glass, but Natasha was willing to bet that should something happen in the room, he’d be too late.  

She presses the speaker button to listen in.  

* * *

“How else do you get better, right?  You push yourself” explains Conrad.  

“By having cage matches against humans and other Inhumans” says Maria in a flat tone.  She looks over the file in front of her and then flips it closed.  

“Well we got a little bored fighting ourselves” smirks Conrad.  

“Twelve dead.”  

“Yeah, if you include the humans.”  He squints at Maria and then leans forward. “You’re one of them aren’t you?  Huh.  Working at SHIELD and having no powers.  Impressive.”  

* * *

Maria remains impassive but Natasha can see that Conrad is up to something.  It hits her then.  This is just another cage match to him.  He’s been using his powers on Maria throughout the interview.  

“The matches though.  You know what that’s like don’t you?  I have to admit, dog fights and our cage fights are a little similar.  The blood and sweat.  It just fills your lungs, doesn’t it?” asks Conrad.  He makes a show of sniffing the air, and smirking at Maria.  Maria’s sense are suddenly full of the coopery scent of blood.  She can hear the sound of dogs barking but also whimpering in pain.  There’s a bitter taste in her mouth.  She refuses to let Conrad know he’s gotten to her.  

“It’s a unique feeling, you know?  Being matched against someone.  Seeing that moment that the other person gives up or tries to make a last ditch effort.  They get this look.  Not the ones who curl up, the ones that fight.  This… wild look.  Errgh!  It’s a shame you only know it from an animal.  It’s so different on a person!  Humans, they resort to anything, fists, teeth, using their fingers like claws to try and gouge out someone’s eye… practically foaming at the mouth.  Have you seen that before?”  Maria’s jaw clenches but she doesn’t respond.  

“Inhumans are more evolved than that.  Whether it’s scales or spines, it’s always hilarious how they manage to never see it coming.  Like a dog going for another’s throat.  That moment before they rip it out…”  

“Stop it” growls Maria.  Her chest feels tight and she has to control her breathing in order to maintain her mask.  Her mind is suddenly flooded with memories of the dog fights her Uncle and Aunt used to hold.  She had been tasked with wrangling the dogs and cleaning up afterwards.  She can practically taste the blood.  She knows it’s Conrad’s doing.  

“Ever the observer” says Maria calmly, her mind trying to find it’s way out of whatever haze Conrad has put on her.  

“What’s that?” asks Conrad.  He seems genuinely confused.  

“Well, I think you wouldn’t remember it in such vivid detail unless you were only an observer.  I mean, you would, but you’d remember other things.  The sweat under your fist as you land a blow to their jaw.  Sometimes the slickness makes your fist glide across just a little faster.  The sound of their gasp for breath after you knock them against the side or knock the wind out of them.  It’s like a mixture of a gasp, a wheeze, and a sound of shock.  The sound of them hitting the mats.  And yes there’s the blood but it’s not theirs you’re focusing on.  It’s the sound of your heart beat thumping in your head.  You’re trying to focus on the fight and you remember your training and remember your strengths, but sound of your own heart beat is deafening, even when they’re down for the count.  But… you haven’t felt any of that, have you.  You’ve never actually been in the cage yourself.  Just spectator on the sidelines.”  

Conrad is fuming at this point.  Maria has touched a nerve.  

“I have a different skill set.  One not suited for the ring” he says in his best attempt to keep calm.  

“I’m sure” says Maria evenly.  She gets up to leave and has to concentrate to keep herself steady, the taste and smell of blood still playing with her senses.  

Maria walks into the next room to find Natasha there.  She lets out a sigh.  

“I didn’t want you to find out this way” says Maria.  Suddenly she’s exhausted.  She’s just relived memories she had never planned on revisiting.  She leans against the wall and sinks down to the floor.  

“Dog fights?” asks Natasha softly.  

“I was going to tell you.  I know you’ve seen the bite scar on my leg, but how do you bring it up?  So I just…. didn’t.”  

“Everyone has a past Maria.  Not all of them happy” says Natasha.  “And… I suspected.  Aunt Peggy may have mentioned something.  Nothing specific, just that it wasn’t happy.”  

“It just… felt like wrangling and clean up?  Compared to what you lived through?  It didn’t seem worth mentioning.”  Natasha sits down next to her on the floor.  

“You handled yourself well though.  I was worried” admits Natasha.  Maria rests her head against her knees but turns to face Natasha.  

“Please.  That guy is an amateur.  Sorry for worrying you though.  I honestly just forgot I was supposed to reply to you hours ago.  He came in and…” she shrugs.  

“Doesn’t change my plans really.  Just wanted to know what kind of takeout you were up for.”  Natasha pushes herself to her feet and extends a hand to Maria.  


	11. Slippers and Stress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Placebos and time at the Barton farm

Tic tacs.  Preferably orange tic tacs.  Maria uses them as a placebo of sorts when she’s away from the office and really stressed.  

Natasha hadn’t exactly intended to snoop but she’d found five empty containers that hold 200.  Not quite alarming since it would harm her, but she could see why they were at the Barton farm now.  

Natasha spots Maria on the couch reviewing files on her tablet with a tic tac bottle at hand and makes her way over.  Or is beginning to when she spots them.  

“What are those on your feet?” asks Natasha.  

“Slippers, what do they look like?” says Maria without looking up.  They are black slippers with a red inside and the Black Widow symbol on the front of them.  There were all sorts of things sold with her mark on them but everyone knew better than to wear them in front of her.  

“You aren’t wearing those.”  That has Maria looking up.  

“Yes I am.  They’re comfy.”  

* * *

Laura is about to tell Cooper for the millionth time not to horse around in the living room, when she sees not her son, but Maria and Natasha.  Natasha seems to be trying to get Maria’s slippers off and Maria is trying to push her away.  

“Get off!”

“Those first!”

“No!”

Then there’s sound of little feet coming down the stairs.  

“You like the slippers I got you Maria?” asks Lila.  Maria is flipped upside down with her head hanging off the edge of the couch, but answers as if nothing is wrong.  

“Yup.  I love them!  They’re so comfy.  Natasha is just jealous.”  Lila’s face lights up.  

“Goody, cause I got you some too Auntie Nat!” says the small girl before racing off.  Natasha lets Maria go and she tumbles on down to the floor.  

“You two handled that well” says Laura.  Maria gives Laura a sheepish look and Lila places a pair identical to Maria’s in Natasha’s hands.  Laura calls Lila over to help set the table for dinner.  Natasha is staring at the slippers in her hands.  They’re made of cheap material and are fuzzy inside.  

“Bet she bought them with her own money too” whispers Maria as she gives Nat a nudge.  Natasha slips hers on and wiggles her toes.  They are comfy.  

“So what has you so stressed out?” asks Natasha.  Maria sighs.  

“We’re all just spread a bit thin lately and I’m trying to figure out a way to fix it before HYDRA notices.  Same old work stuff” answers Maria with a shrug.  

“Dinner!” calls Laura from the other room.  

“Maybe a break will help” says Natasha as she gives Maria a hand up.  They enter the other room and see Lila placing the napkins and Clint and Cooper coming in from the back deck.  

“Shoes!  Shoes off!” calls Laura to the boys as she sets Nate in his high chair.  Maria smiles at the usual dinner chaos and takes a seat next to Nat.  


	12. Contingencies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “You’re just a card I needed to play.”

It’s still early in their relationship.  Natasha’s first attempt at a real relationship.  They’re taking things slow but Natasha just can’t shake these lingering doubts. 

“You have contingencies for everything” says Natasha.  They’re sitting in Maria’s office and Natasha is sitting on the couch next to the door while Maria is behind her desk.  

“I try to” says Maria, her hand never pausing in what she’s writing.  

“Do you have one for me?”  Maria looks up and sets down her pen.  

“Yes, but there are also ones in place for Banner, Rogers, and even Thor.  As second in Command, it’s just something that has to be in place.”  Natasha takes this in.  It makes sense.  She a Russian assassin trained by Red Room, it would be idiotic for there not to be a contingency plan in place.  Ever since she’d defected, this had been her life, she’d never had any doubts or wanted to go back.  Every so often she wonders what her life would be like if she wasn’t an Avenger, but she’d never regretted changing sides.  Maria can see the questions swirling in Natasha’s head.  

“I’m seeing you…. I am interested in you as a person, not an asset” says Maria firmly.  Natasha knows this is true.  She wants it to be true.  It’s just after a life time of being manipulated and then trying to figure out what’s real, it’s hard to shake the feeling of being used.  

“What did you expect to hear?  That you’re just a card I needed to play?  That this is all to keep you here and loyal to SHIELD?  I’m second in command, I’ve been cautioned by various….colleagues… that your interest in me is only in my position.”  None of it matters though, Natasha decides.  She’s good at reading people and she detects nothing but sincerity from Maria.  She nods and goes back to doodling in stead of doing her paperwork.  Maria seems to sense that the matter is over with.  They’ll figure out things as they go, but Maria takes it as a good sign that Natasha is at least voicing her concerns.  


	13. Timing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “We’re sixteen seconds behind.”

Natasha loves Maria, she does, but right now the woman is getting on her last nerve.  She knows how to run a mission but Maria is rushing them through every step.  

“Hurry, please” urges Maria.  

“Keep your pants on.  While I can hack this in my sleep, it still takes time” growls Natasha.  It’s a basic system but it’s so poorly organized that it’s taking longer for Natasha to find the information they need.  

“Nat-”

“Do you have to go to the bathroom or something?” asks Natasha as she notices Maria’s boot bouncing with impatience.  

“We have to move!”  

“One second…..”

“Now!”  

“Got it!”  Natasha tucks the USB drive into one of her pockets and takes off after Maria.  The corridor is clear of any enemy soldiers so Natasha has no idea what the big rush is.  They make their way out of the facility and are nearly clear when they catch the notice of a patrol team.  Natasha gets out her guns to return fire, but Maria pulls her along.  

“Leave it!  We’re sixteen second behind!” growls Maria.  They reach the other side of the large cement and wire fence when the explosion happens.  It rocks the facility and suddenly their attackers aren’t worried about them at all.  Maria double checks her watch.  

“You planned that and didn’t tell me?”  

“We couldn’t leave the facility as it was, you know that.  Plus you were busy” says Maria.  “Jet ETA is five minutes.”  

“You schedule everything??” asks Natasha, only half joking.  

“In this case, yes.  The president agreed to look the other way for only six hours.  We need to be out of this air space in ten minutes or the can prosecute us for all sorts of fun things.”  Natasha shakes her head in disbelief as she follows Maria up the trail to where the jet is waiting for them.  There are two things she knows for sure: Maria always has a plan and diplomatic negotiations will never make sense to her.  


	14. Reading Material

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “Why do you have so many bookshelves? There’s one in every room.”

It’s the first time Maria has visited Natasha’s place.  It’s a small apartment.  Most of Natasha’s things are scattered all over her own apartment but apparently there are still a few things at her place.  There isn’t much.  A couch, tv, bed in the other room, and a laptop in a small office.  There is something in all of the rooms though.  

“Why do you have so many bookshelves?  There’s one in every room” says Maria.  Actually, in this main room there are four.  Maybe they’re there to use as barricades in case of attack, except the shelves are overflowing with books, all looking worn or have their spines cracked.  Natasha comes over and hands Maria a coffee mug.  

“I don’t need a lot to call a place home, but I have a weak spot for books.  I pick them up whenever I’m on mission.  It makes the wait time on the jet seem shorter” explains Natasha with a shrug.  The subject vary from history to mythology to fiction, even a few textbooks.  

“Not a big mystery fan?” asks Maria.  Natasha makes a face and rolls her eyes. 

“Or of thrillers.  Our jobs, we do a fair amount of both.  I do like old Agatha Christie mysteries, even if I do practically need a flow chart for all that characters.”  

“Mind if I borrow a few sometime?” asks Maria.  

“Help yourself” says Nat, gesturing to the shelves.  There is more to Natasha than Maria ever could have guessed.  


	15. Infected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “Fix me up with six cups of coffee and we’re good to go.”

They are in the medical wing.  On their last mission they had been destroying a HYDRA lab.  Destroying servers after copying data, gathering samples of what they could and getting rid of the rest.  They’d been on their way out when Maria shoved Natasha and Clint aside and was sprayed in the face with something.  Natasha had taken him out with a quick kill shot.  

It wasn’t until they were on the jet and half way home when Natasha noticed anything wrong.  Maria was sweating and looks pale.  Natasha shares a look with Clint and despite Maria’s protests, requests that medical meet them when they land.  Natasha stays by her side as they get her on a gurney but she and Clint are pulled away to decontamination.  

When she sees gets back to her side, Maria is coughing up blood.  The doctors explain she was contaminated with something, but Natasha could have told them that.  Clint pales as he realizes what Maria saved them from.  He gives Natasha a look and she nods.  He pulls out his phone and calls Laura.  

The doctors clear Natasha to go into Maria’s room but she would have gone anyway.  

“You don’t look so hot” says Natasha as she Goes to Maria’s side.  She combs Maria’s hair from her face as Maria coughs again.  Natasha tries to keep her face impassive but she can’t help but worry at the blood in the palm of Maria’s hand.  

“Fix me up with six cups of coffee and we’re good to go” says Maria after she collapses back against the pillow.  The doctors continue to try and figure out how to reverse the effects, even Bruce and Tony are in on the effort.  They try to explain what’s happening but she isn’t listening.  Unless they can tell her that they have a cure, she doesn’t care.  

It’s eight hours since she was sprayed and Maria has gotten so weak that she can’t even sit up to cough. Natasha helps lean her against the pillows.  Bruce is putting something in her IV and giving Natasha a hopeful look.  There’s been no discussion as to last wishes, but Natasha knows what to do.  Clint lingers in the hallway, updating the others and checking with the doctors for any progress.  

Maria starts getting a bit of color back in her cheeks slowly.  Whatever Bruce and Tony had come up with seemed to be working, but Bruce says they need to wait and to be sure.  Natasha holds her hand the entire time.  It’s not lost on her what Maria did for her and Clint.  She doesn’t know what to say since Maria probably saw it as just looking after her people.  She might have been immune anyway with her altered genetics, but she can’t be sure.  That type of selflessness, especially for her, is rare to Natasha.  So she sits and visits.  It’s a week before Maria is released to quarters and Natasha is there to guide her.  Maria is too stubborn to use the wheelchair provided so she leans heavily onto Natasha.  

Natasha tucks her in and sets up her laptop so that it only plays Neflix and won’t allow her to work on anything.  Maria grumps but Nat has brought Liho too.  The cat curls up next to Maria’s feet and settles in, just like Natasha does on the small sofa.  Maria will get through this, Natasha will see to it.  


	16. More Than One Punching Bag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: If you over exert yourself during practice I will come between you and that punching bag and shove this bottle and towel in your face, I know you’re worried but you need to rest.

Things had been tense for a while now.  Maria had simply asked for a full report of what had happened in his recent run in with HYDRA.  Steve had made his search for Barnes his own personal cause and seemed to think SHIELD and the Avengers would just foot the bill without knowing the details.  Lately, Maria has been made to answer before the courts for their actions, so Natasha understands where she’s coming from.  The argument had turned into a shouting match that had them both stomping away mad.  

Natasha finds Maria exactly where she thought she would.  It’s an old SHIELD bunker that’s fitted with a gym.  Natasha briefly imagines Peggy Carter teaching a young and lanky Maria Hill how to box while giving Sharon and Kevin lessons too.  She smiles thinking of a young Maria Hill taking a swing at the large punching bag.  That’s exactly what Maria is doing now.  

Natasha lets out a sigh.  She can tell Maria is close to pushing herself too far.  Her punch is losing it’s force and her legs are shaking.  Natasha walks over and picks up Maria’s water bottle and towel.  She stops in Maria’s eye line and waits to be noticed.  

“I get that Barnes is his best friend, I do.  Aunt Peggy told us stories about the Howling Commandos all the time.  But his search involves major damage to areas, even if they are HYDRA bases.  Countries that aren’t equipped to deal with the weapons and hardware left behind.  Most are likely to blow themselves up trying to retrieve it.  But hey, that’s fine!  Not like we may need their help some day!  Even if we don’t, it’s not like we need that stuff stored somewhere safe.” says Maria as she continues to swing at the bag.  

Natasha doesn’t know what to say.  She goes over and braces the bag so that Maria can take a few more swings.  When Loki took Barton, she knows she would have gone to the ends of the earth to bring him back.  Updating Maria wouldn’t have been her biggest concern.  But she’s operated like that for a while.  She knows she probably would update Maria though, if only because having someone clean up the collateral damage would allow her to move faster, in addition to Maria’s points.  

Maria steps a few paces back and braces herself on her knees.  She takes a few deep breaths and then reaches for the outstretched water bottle.  

“SHIELD isn’t secret anymore and now I have to justify every decision.  That’s not easy to do when I’m not the one making them.  Do you know that there were three incidents I didn’t even know about?  The first time I’m hearing about them is from some arrogant senator!” pants Maria.  

“The Avengers are more than a search party and you shouldn’t have to answer for all this” says Natasha.  

“Yeah well, it’s the way things are now” gripes Maria as she wipes her face with her towel.  Natasha helps her off with her gloves and then slowly removes the tape.  Maria’s hands and fingers are red from exertion.  Natasha sits next to her on the bench and while Maria rests her head on her shoulder, she gently rubs at Maria’s hands.  

“Clint and Bruce are having a chat with Steve.  He’s lucky it’s not Wanda and Pietro.  But that’s for another day.  For now, let me take you home and run you a hot bath” says Natasha as she helps Maria up.  She grabs the jacket on the rail and sets it on Maria’s shoulders and escorts her to the car waiting outside.  


	17. Foreign Side Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “The last thing I remember was the fire.” *bamf Maria?

Natasha waits next to Maria’s bedside.  She’s in a foreign hospital.  It was supposed to be a diplomatic mission and from what Natasha and the others can gather, this was unrelated to the mission.  Still, much like for herself, nothing ever went easy.  Natasha sits up as Maria finally begins to stir.  

“Hey you.  You had us worried” says Natasha softly.  

“What happened?  The last thing I remember was the fire” rasps Maria as Natasha angles the straw from a glass of water towards her lips.  Taking a long drink, Maria tries to remember how it all started.  

The meet and greet had gone well.  She could facilitate further negotiations over video chats, but at least the ground work was done and a trust had been built.  Now all she had to do was a check in and get on the jet in four hours.  

There had been so many people and faces all at once.  After Sokovia, some countries were eager to meet with SHIELD, hoping that in their dire moments they would come to their aid.  Maria takes a breather on her way back to the hotel.  A walk would help clear her head.  

That’s when she hears it.  A child’s voice and a banging sound.  Maria searches for where the sound could have come from, being surrounded by only a brick building and cars.  A van is the source of the sound and Maria opens the back.  There, in what looks to be a large kennel cage is a young girl.  The girl starts to talk to her really fast in a foreign language, but Maria is only half listening.  What is her name?  Anna?  Something like that.  The girl’s face had been in the papers, the kidnapped daughter of some diplomat.  Maria has just gotten the cage open when a bullet hits the trunk door.  Maria grabs the girl under her arms and lifts her free and then she’s off at a run, tugging the girl behind her.  

Whatever had been the kidnapper’s plan, Maria has screwed up.  Looking at the girl, she notices that she’s still wearing her school uniform.  They are currently in a back alley behind a handful of shops.  Maria points to herself.  

“Maria” and then she points the girl.  

“Anna” says the girl softly.  She seems to be trying to figure out whether Maria is a friend or not.  Well, at least she remembered her name.  Maria’s at a loss as to what language the girl is speaking.  The cafe.  She was supposed to meet Lukas at the cafe.  The two of them make their way over the few blocks very carefully.  Maria spots the men looking for Anna, and Anna’s hand tightens around hers.  So much for this being a quick mission.  

When they get to the cafe, Maria motions for Anna to stay put.  Picking up on her meaning, Anna grabs Maria’s arm and desperately starts shaking her head. 

“I’ll be right back I promise” assures Maria, and after repeating it a few times the girl seems to understand.  Maria quickly makes her way inside and explains the situation to Lukas.  

“Maria!  Do you know who her father is?” hisses Lukas.  It’s not lost to Maria that Anna’s father is one of the violent individuals that they are usually after.  A weapons smuggler, sometimes HYDRA weapons.  Best case scenario: he gives them what he has as thanks for rescuing his daughter.  Doubtful, but she could hope.  

She and Lukas make their way to the alleyway but Anna is nowhere to be found.  Maria draws her gun and so does Lukas as the search the area.  Then there is the sound of a frantic muffled scream from up above.  A goon is carrying Anna up the stairs of the next building.  Maria brings up her gun, but doesn’t have a clear shot.  Then there’s gun fire from behind them.  Lukas is already returning fire and they dart behind a few large crates for cover.  Taking out the man following them, Maria heads in the building’s back door and heads towards the front.  Lukas does his best, and between the two of them, they take out the one goon and Anna is back in Maria’s arms.  They’re almost clear and out the front when another shot rings out.  Maria pushes Anna’s head closer to her chest and turns to see Lukas fall, blood spurting from the side of his neck.  

It’s a good five blocks to the hotel, but from there, Maria knows she can at least call for help.  It must be a team of four, five max guesses Maria.  Enough people to cover all the bases of a kidnap and ransom deal but not too many people to split the money with.  

Anna has a death grip on her arm which throws her off when crowbar comes out of nowhere.  It hits her in the chest and Maria falls and has the wind knocked out of her.  She’s gasping for air when his boot hits her side as Anna is ripped from her.  

“Maria!”  

Maria rolls as he tries to bring down the crowbar again and kicks out at his legs.  Her gun had slid under a car when she fell but she spots and lunges.  Anna bites down on his arm and when he jerks back, Maria shoots him twice square in the chest.  She then grabs Anna and runs to the hotel.  

Unfortunately, her hotel isn’t some posh place where she could at least count on the magnetic locks buying her a little time.  No, this is a cheap local place that still uses keys.  She had figured a low profile was best.  It’s now that she regrets getting a room on the second floor.  The last man must be the one in control, he’s careful and doesn’t storm in.  Instead, he sets the lower floor on fire.  Maria has pushed the dresser in front of the door and Anna has crawled under the bed.  It’s not the ideal spot, but it’s the only source of cover left.  One goon left though.  That’s the one that barrels through the door and Maria is ready for him.  She goes for his weak spots but he charges her and slams her against the wall.  Her head is fuzzy after the impact but she sees another pair of boots going over to grab Anna.  The two men are arguing as Maria hauls herself up.  

There’s a shot and a scream.  Maria feels a stinging in her arm but she doesn’t care.  The goon has a hand around her throat and is bringing his arm back for a blow.  She spins and throws off his momentum and kicks him solidly in the chest.  He loses his grip and goes out the window.  She hasn’t forgotten the other one.  The one probably in charge.  He takes a shot at her, but Maria crouches low and dodges.  Then she rushes him and it’s a wrestle for the gun.  Anna is in the corner, scared silent, and Maria can feel herself weakening.  The fire is billowing from downstairs and the smoke is getting to her.  Finally, she gets the upper hand.  His finger is around the trigger, but she has the gun jammed under his chin and forces him to pull the trigger.  Just like that, it’s over.  Now they just have to get out of the room.  

The smoke is thick and Maria races to the window.  Beneath them, the fire fighters are just arriving.  Three of them are beneath the window and telling her they’re on their way, but she knows she has to get the girl out now.  She asks Anna to trust her again and then dangles the girl out the window by her arms.  She counts to three, holding eye contact with Anna, and then lets her fall into the arms of the fire fighters below.  Anna’s safe, but it had taken everything out of Maria.  With her probably broken ribs, it’s now hard to breathe without coughing.  She looks at the doorway where the flames have made their way in and falls against the window frame.  There are voices calling her but she can’t get up.  That’s when she passes out.  

* * *

“The fire fighters got you out” says Natasha.  That’s when she notices the small form watching her from the bed on the other side of the room.  Anna says something, but again Maria has no idea what.  

“She says thank you” supplies Natasha.  Maria smiles at the girl.  

“You know what she’s saying?” asks Maria.  

“She’s Croatian.  Mine’s more than a bit rusty but I remember that much” answers Natasha.  Maria leans back against the pillows, relieved to see that the girl is still safe.  They’ll deal with what comes next later.  Right now she's recovering from a gunshot wound to her arm, broken ribs, and smoke inhalation.  So much for a simple trip.  


	18. Saturday Search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “Looking in coffins to find someone wasn’t what I thought I’d be spending my Saturday doing.”

“So what did she say exactly?” asks Clint.  

“’Oh by the way, I killed someone this morning but local police got to the body.  He’s got something on him.  See you when I get back.’  I figured you would have a better idea of how she killed him” answers Maria.  

“Hey, I’m always up for a scavenger hunt” says Clint with a shrug.  

“Yeah well, looking in morgues to find someone wasn’t what I thought I’d be spending my Saturday doing” replies Maria.  

Now’s as good a time as any.  

“So how are things between you and Nat?” asks Clint.  Maria gives him a look before closing another morgue drawer.  “Laura made me promise I’d ask.”  Maria sighs.  

“We’re taking things slow, which is good for both of us.  It’s… new ground for the both of us” answers Maria.  Clint’s eyebrows go up.  

“You?”  Maria rolls her eyes.  

“I haven’t been on many dates that haven’t been set ups by Pepper, Sharon, Aunt Peggy or Aunt Angie.  All of which were less than stellar.  With Nat, it’s just a matter of finding something normal to do…”

“Because coffee or dinner is something that only well adjusted people do?” snarks Clint.  Maria smirks at him.  

“That and it’s hard to find time between missions and everything else.  Laura have any suggestions?”  

“She says you guys are welcome at the house anytime.  She also suggests using some of those cooking skills your Aunt taught you.  Wait!  Hey!  I have good suggestions!” protests Clint.  

“Suggestions that aren’t from a romantic comedy.”  

“Look who’s picky!”  

“Well, Nat might see it coming since you make her watch them with you.”  

“Nah, she just shows up for the popcorn… Found him!  It’s Hammer tech” announces Clint.  Maria closes the drawer she’s on.  It’s been tough trying to guess between gunshot wounds and knife wounds and auto accidents what was Natasha’s work, but when you saw it, it was very distinctive.  In this case a garrote.  

“Great.  I’ll pull the car around and you grab him” says Maria, car keys already in hand.  With a sigh, Clint lugs the body over his shoulder and follows after her. Working with Maria isn’t that different from working with Nat.  Well, at least things are going well between the two.  He’ll report that back to Laura.  


	19. Investigation Ambush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “I hurt in places I didn’t even know existed.”

None of this had gone like it was supposed to.  Maria and Victoria had gotten a call from one of their assets.  Assets aren’t always gifted individuals, sometimes they’re just people people who keep an eye out for things or were once associated with a mission, maybe a future recruit.  Natasha didn’t know the story, but Maria and Victoria had made it clear that finding this girl Sophie was important.  

Victoria and Maria had said they’d cover the hospital where Cassie had called them from, and she and Clint were supposed to cover her apartment and look for any signs of who had attacked her.  

What they hadn’t expected was the attackers to still be there.  Clint had said he’d check the car so Natasha had gone in alone.  Then there was a loud bang followed by a blinding light.  A compact and directional flash bang?  She hadn’t had time to think about it because then there were the taser batons.  They came at her from three sides and had her on her knees.  One is striking her on her back, trying to get her to fall.  These aren’t regular weapons.  The electricity going through her activates her own taser discs and that’s what finally puts her down.  

* * *

“I hurt in places I didn’t even know existed” groans Natasha when she comes to.  After years of working with him, she can sense when Clint is near.  

“Yeah well, I heard you screaming and hit one guy.  That was some fancy tech they were using.  What do you think, Hammer or AIM?” asks Clint.  He looks a little worse for wear too but helps her to her feet.  Every inch of her body hurts and her muscles ache from the batons.  Then she remembers.  

“What about Maria and the others at the hospital?  Are they okay?”  

“Checked in and gave them a heads up.  They had their hands full, but are okay.  Something about an oxygen tank explosion?  I gather one of them is staying behind to clean up the mess a little but the asset is clear and safe.” answers Clint.  

It’s a bit selfish, but Natasha doesn’t care at all about the asset.  She want’s to know if Maria is okay.  When had that become a priority?  It doesn’t matter, for now they’ll try and see what they can find.  Maybe they’d interrupted the attackers in their search and something was left behind.  


	20. Off Duty For the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “Can I ask what happened?“

Natasha had gotten a text from Maria.  It’s unusual since Natasha is the one who usually texts and Maria calls.  

[Meet me at the morgue.]  

Natasha wants to know what’s going on.  To her knowledge, no agent has been killed so she’s curious as to why she’s here.  She presses through the double doors and finds Maria leaning over a body.  It’s a young boy.  Younger than twenty.  Maria caresses his hair.  Natasha hesitates, but takes a deep breath and a steps forward.  

“Can I ask what happened?”  

“Colin Nesmith.  He was one of my… He was connected to a SHIELD mission.  Wrong place, wrong time, lots of guns.  Helped us nab a weapons smuggler.  A smuggler who later had connections to HYDRA.  Phil says he just slipped through the cracks…” explains Maria softly.  

“How did you know him?”  Maria gives a sad smile.  

“He was twelve and I was a field agent still.  He kept in touch.  Wanted to know how he could become an agent.  He was starting college now.  I told him that while military service helped, so would a degree.”  Maria shrugs.  “He was a smart kid.  Full academic scholarship.  I try to keep tabs on a handful of individuals.  Some gifted, some not, just…” 

“People you keeps tabs on but are also friends” finishes Natasha.  

“Something like that.  I don’t know it’s not… I meet them for coffee every once and a while and check in, but it’s not like they’re vital to missions or anything…” Maria shakes her head and leaves the room.  Natasha follows silently behind.  

“It’s how you stay connected to people.  Otherwise everyone just becomes names on a list.  Just letters.”  Natasha knows that much, but she’s better at keeping things separate.  Maria lets out an ugly chuckle.  

“How connected?  He’s dead.”  

“But not due to anything SHIELD related, right?  You can plan better than anyone I know, but you can’t see the future Maria.”  Maria throws a punch at the car door and Natasha catches her hand in case she’s thinking of throwing another.  

“We don’t know yet.  It might have been.  There’s no link to his regular life, no drugs or wrong crowd, just an execution shot at the back of his neck and dirt on the knees of his jeans.  All his belongings were still with him.  Laptop, ipod, wallet, so it wasn’t a robbery.  Victoria is now checking other assets.”  

“She think this is an attack on you?”  That thought had been lingering at the back of her mind, but she hadn’t wanted to voice it.  

“Maybe, or just an attack on people that someone regards as expendable.  Not agents, so it won’t get a full inquiry, no like it would had it been an one of our own.  HYDRA would know that, so we should put potentials in protective custody…” Maria lets out a defeated sigh.  “But there are too many of them for that and we don’t have the resources or even know if they’ll strike again, so best we can do is track them and see if anyone dies.”  

“Hey, will you stop?  Maybe our guys will find something.  Some footage or evidence.  Something.  They are good you know.  But you, you can take that Commander hat off for a minute Maria.  Victoria knows what she’s doing.”  Maria’s shoulders shake a bit.  

“I’m afraid of what will happen if I do…”  Natasha helps Maria into the passenger seat.  

“You’ll get up tomorrow, and probably still be sad, but we’ll have a better idea if this is something.  Even if this was just a cruel one off, we’ll know how to move forward” says Natasha as she starts the car.  

“I should let his family know… I think he has a Dad…” says Maria pulling out her phone.  Natasha reaches over and gently eases it from her grasp.  She knows Maria is focusing on the job because she can’t get the kid’s face out of her head.  Normally, things are moving at such a fast pace that they don’t have time for grief or to mourn the dead.  It usually is coped with large amounts of sleep and self isolation.  They all retreat to their corners and recuperate and say their goodbyes in private.  But now’s one of those times where Maria can take a breath.  She know she can, she’s just afraid.  It makes Natasha feel honored that Maria would call her for something like this.  Let her see her this vulnerable. 

“That’s someone else’s job tonight” says Natasha softly.  And then Maria lets go, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.  


	21. Going About It the Wrong Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Got married by accident.

Natasha can’t get drunk and Maria can handle her alcohol.  Regular alcohol.  But this was a special night.  Thor had conquered something or someone out in space and it was a call for celebration!  That doesn’t mean that either woman can handle Thor’s special brew….

Maria feels awful.  Her stomach is iffy and she doesn’t want to chance opening her eyes yet.  She’s lying on her stomach and works up the courage to squint in front of her.  

Why is there a ring on her finger?

“Oh, god.  Never drink with a Norse god” groans Natasha as she sits up on the couch.  They’re both sprawled out on couches on the lounge.  Actually, they’re more or less snuggling.  The less part being the rolling feeling in their stomachs. Natasha rubs at her eyes and then notices that Maria’s gaze is fixed on her hand.  She lifts it to find a simple silver looking band on her finger.  She then looks down and sees a matching one on Maria’s hand.  

“How much do you remember?”  Maria slowly sits up and runs a hand through her adorable bed head hair.  

“I remember us moaning about having to testify in court next week… and how…” 

“Married couples don’t have to testify against each other…” finishes Natasha.  Granted if the rings on their hands meant what they assumed they did, that would be a bonus… but knowing each other as they did, it would take more than the tedium of a court appearance to have them going down the aisle together.  

What was in that stuff Thor brought?

“Well, looks like we’ll be doing this backwards then” says Natasha frankly.  

“What?”  

“We’ll be getting to know each other better now after we’re married.”  Natasha says this with what seems to be her usual ease, but her smile is genuine and even a bit shy.  

“Can we start with crackers and ginger ale?  The thought of a real breakfast makes me want to be sick.”  

“I’m pretty sure Pepper still has stuff like that from Tony’s old drinking days.”  


	22. Keep Moving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “Just keep moving. That’s all you can do.”

She gets so tired.  She knows what they fight for, what they’re up against.  Lately, she and Clint have been working extraction, a break from their usual missions but it’s still just as taxing.  

They load themselves onto a helicopter, this time to get Sharon out of a tight spot.   

_Landing sixty seconds._

On the ground they move right in step with each other.  She heads the line and goes first.  This time they’re taking a support team due to the number that their expecting to be up against.  

Despite the fact that they’re Avengers, they don’t go in guns blazing.  Precise shots only.  The four soldiers they have with them are good but don’t move as fluidly as they do.  They take out the few soldiers they can, before they get to Sharon.  Sharon is there bound but they make quick work of that and she’s on her feet.  Sharon is in bad shape all bloodied and bruised but keeps pace just fine.  

But there are children here.  Fifteen years old at the most.  Armed children because this is only where the hostage is held and the better soldiers are at the front or guarding more important things.  But the children, armed with highly sensitive bombs no bigger than softballs.  Natasha holds her gun up in a sign of surrender and carefully edges towards the kid.  Carefully, she takes the bomb from the child and disarms it.  There’s a collective sigh of relief over the comms.  

_Moving with Carter towards evac._

Except it was a ploy.  There’s another soldier waiting for them and tosses a grenade.  

There’s a ringing in her ears that seems to go on forever.  At least she sees Carter make it to the helicopter.  She and Clint pick themselves pick themselves up and are on the move again.  That’s when they notice only two are following them.  One of the young members of their group had lagged behind Clint and was thrown by the force of the bomb.  The other has shrapnel and debris in his face and neck.  He died with his eyes open.  They make their way to the copter. 

* * *

“What happened?” asks Clint when they get in the air.  Sharon shakes her head.  

“It was a setup, all of it, from the very beginning.  Our intel was wrong, our CI a traitor.  All a major fuck up.  We couldn’t reach Hoskins on the comms and my team was killed on site, they only needed one of us” answers Sharon.  That brings the death count to five.  

* * *

When they’re out of the country and at a safe house, Natasha finally has time to make a call.  It rings twice before it’s picked up.  

“Maria….”  Natasha doesn’t know what to say.  Lately, everything is going wrong.  Phil would rather believe that Hoskins is just incompetent rather than another HYDRA traitor.  There’s an inquiry going on to look into it.  

“Just keep moving.  That’s all you can do” says Maria over the phone.  Natasha knows that.  Hearing Maria’s voice feel like home.  She just has to make it there in one piece now, but seeing as how the hard part is done, it should be a piece of cake.  Natasha just hopes she hasn’t jinxed it but thinking it.  Soon she’ll be home.  


	23. Belated Notice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Sequel to Going About it the Wrong Way

“So neither of you remember the actual ceremony?” asks an exasperated Pepper.  Maria and Natasha shake their heads.  “Not even the words ‘I do’?”  Another shake of their heads.  

“So then it can be undone” sighs Steve with relief.  

“Undone?  You mean annulled?  Why would we want that?” asks Natasha, as she makes a fist of her ring hand.  No one was taking her ring without a fight.  

“Hmm… Hill and Romanoff… I approved” says Tony as he gives them a once over.  

“Thanks?” says Maria with a raised eyebrow.  With a sigh, she stands up.  “Whatever we intend to do, we really don’t need the Avengers approval.  Aside from ruining Pepper’s hopes of arranging our weddings, we didn’t do anything we need to apologize for."  

“Sorry Pepper” says Natasha with a lopsided smile.  

“Yeah you do, Laura’s going to kill me when she hears about this and the fact that she missed it.  Also that you don’t have any memory of it” announces Clint. 

“So is Aunt Peggy for that matter…” adds Sharon.  Maria sits back down but keeps Natasha’s hand in hers.  Figures.  They get married and instead of wedding invites they send apology cards.  


	24. Meal at Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “You’re alive and you’re still breathing. That means something at least.”

Maria spots Nat just as she’s about to head for the garage.  

“You’re alive and you’re still breathing.  That means something at least.”  Natasha turns at the sound of Maria’s voice.  

“Yeah, but I’m starving.”  Maria shoulders her bag higher and motions Natasha to join her.  

“C’mon.  I make a good spaghetti.”  

“Just good?” asks Natasha as she tosses her bag into the back seat.  

“Well, it’s not as good as Aunt Angie’s, but it’s getting there.”  

* * *

Natasha watches as Maria lets the sauce boil.  At the moment she’s slicing onion and various spices.  Her knife moves smoothly and methodically.  Maria had offered Natasha her shower and fresh towels, an offer that she should take her up on since she has mud covering her lower half, but can’t bring herself to move.  

The only other person who has ever cooked for her is Laura.  She chalks that up to her being a mom.  This is different though.  She would have been just as happy with a pizza delivery, and there’s no reason for Maria to go so much trouble for her, but she is.  The sauce is simmering and Maria is working on a garlic buttery mix for the bread.  It’s a real home cooked meal.  

“Go wash up, I still have to do the pasta” says Maria as she pulls out a pasta maker from under the counter.  Natasha reluctantly leaves and heads to the bathroom.  

The bathroom has fresh fluffy towels as well as a first aid kid sitting on the toilet seat.  Natasha’s mouth twitches at Maria’s preparedness.  Fortunately, this is one time where it isn’t needed.  She has a bunch of bruises, but nothing broken or bleeding for once.  Still, it makes getting the caked on mud a bit hard to get off.  When she’s done and toweling off, she’s nearly drooling.  The smell of food fills the small bathroom.  There’s also a pair of sweats there for her to change into.  Rolling up the sleeves, she goes out to the kitchen.  

“Dinner’s ready” announces Maria as she sets a loaded plate in front of Natasha.  She doesn’t know what to say.  

Maria is waiting for Natasha to dig in, she’s heard Natasha’s stomach growling even when they were in the car.  But the red head is just staring at the plate.  

“Thank you… for all this” says Natasha softly.  She’s been invited by both Kevin and Sharon to various chaotic family dinners, been to a few at Clint’s but never has so much effort been just for her.  Maria smiles and unfolds her napkin.  

“Yeah well, I don’t cook for just anyone.  Oh and don’t worry, dessert is just Oreos.”  

“We’ll see if I have room.”  


	25. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “I’m not always hiding things from you.”

Trust is hard.  Maria know they have something good, but that’s with the day to day things.  

There are some days where Natasha falls into the habit of being a spy too easily.  She’d worked hard at gaining people’s trust.  Getting jobs done but without a death count, or when killing is called for it’s quick and efficient.  Back in Red Room, disappointment and failure was met with punishment.  At SHIELD, she was met with Phil Coulson’s disappointed look, but she could never tell what would come next.  She expected confinement or something but perhaps SHIELD’s punishment was simply to let her mind get to her.  

Maria is used to being a spy.  She’d learned early on that there were things that you just didn’t talk about.  Her Father’s drinking and abuse, that was the first lesson.  The same applied to her Aunt and Uncle’s.  Then Aunt Peggy took her in, but that was another secret too.  Then in the Army, the secrets were different.  Need to know or classified.  It would be similar at SHIELD, but there was a difference.  She was given information because she was trusted and her skills were valued.  She rose among the ranks and while she was the dutiful soldier, she was more than that too.  She became Nick Fury’s right hand.  She preferred to be as straight forward as possible where Nick talked in riddles.  

Maria knows she has something with Natasha, but she is still the second in command.  There are missions, weapons, details of things that are above Natasha’s clearance.  They trust each other with their lives, Maria knows Natasha would cover her in the field and Natasha knows she can count on Maria to get them all the latest and reliable intel to keep them safe on missions. But with each other, their personal details, that’s harder.  Natasha’s past is still something she fears, she worries what Maria would think.  Maria wonders what Natasha would think of her, their fearless Commander, if she knew she’d gotten her entire squad blown up.  

But they try.  Maria tells Natasha as much as she can about anything Natasha asks about.  Natasha evades or changes the subject, but not as much as she used to.  

“I’m not always hiding things from you” says Natasha one evening.  She tries, but sometimes the words escape her.  But she doesn’t lie, she doesn’t do that to Maria.  Maria turns to her.  

“I know.  I never thought you were” responds Maria.  They’re trying and that’s all they can do.  


	26. Family Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “I’ve been secretly falling apart.”

Natasha’s been watching Maria unravel all week.  

Peggy isn’t doing well and now with the news that the Winter Soldier is the once fallen Bucky Barnes, the press has been hounding her for an interview.  Some have even gone so far at to impersonate Steve.  

Peggy has been moved to a more secure location.  If anyone has a say in what happens to her it’s Sharon as her niece and Sharon has asked Maria not to tell Steve where Peggy is.  In between regular Avengers and SHIELD chaos, Maria has been dealing with an irate and impatient Steve.  Kevin follows what his sister says, and won’t tell him and he knows Maria knows where she is.  

“You doing okay?” asks Natasha gently.  She knows Maria isn’t but this has to be brought up somehow.  

“Peggy now panics at the sight of Captain America.  She thinks they’re ghosts.  Her mind is so fragile right now and when she’s not waiting for Steve to show up, she’s afraid his ghost is haunting her for not doing more.  She rambles about not having done more to try and find him.  They’re going to try some new meds.  Steve can see her when she stabilizes, but until then, he’ll do more harm than good.”  

“You’re looking out for your family” says Natasha.  

“I’ve been secretly falling apart” admits Maria.  Natasha would have brought her a coffee, but Maria’s been going non stop all week.  

“So let’s go home and get away from all this for a while.  I think this calls egg rolls.”  Maria gives her a tired smile, and follows Natasha from the office.  


	27. The Invite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “Do you want to… come inside?”

It was a lovely date.  The cold made standing close and holding hands less awkward.  It was perfect.  Right up until the two of them are standing on Maria’s stoop, moments before a goodnight kiss, and the freezing rain starts.  

Natasha already looked adorable all bundled up against the cold, and she looked positively blue and was shivering.  

“Do you want to ….come inside?” asks Maria.  

“That’s a little forward, but if I could borrow a towel?  And a heater?”  Maria tugs the small assassin inside.  She puts the kettle on while Natasha takes a quick shower to get her blood flowing again.  She bites her lip at the sight of the small red head in her sleepwear.  The sleeves and legs are both rolled up a few inches.  

“Your clothes are in the dryer and the tea is just about ready.”  

“I thought the usual line was about coffee” says Natasha with a smirk.  


	28. Hard Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “I wanted to tell you myself. I didn’t want you to find out from someone else.”

This was always a possibility.  Natasha had known that from the moment she had uploaded SHIELD files onto the internet.  She supposed this was a way to find out who her really friends were.  

Her history was just that, her history.  She’s come a long way since she defected to SHIELD.  She uses her skill set for the greater good, or she used to think so, HYDRA had shaken her faith in that.  How many missions had she completed that furthered HYDRA’s agenda?  How many names should she add to her ledger?  

Pepper had given her a heads up.  News of the hospital fire would be in the papers by tomorrow morning.  Pepper hadn’t been sure what that had meant, but Clint had said to let her know.  

San Paulo.  Yes, she’d set the hospital on fire, but the part that most people was that despite the high body count the mission had been a failure.  It’s one of her more unpleasant memories, and that was saying something given her past. 

Maria.  Natasha is then making her way to Maria’s office.  When she gets there, she can tell Maria already knows.  Of course, Pepper would tell Maria so that she could help insulate her from the press.  

“I wanted to tell you myself. I didn’t want you to find out from someone else.”  Maria nods.  

“Twenty four.  There were twenty four killed in that fire.  I was only sent in for one.”  Natasha paces for a moment before settling on the small office couch.  She can’t seem to sit still, her knee keeps bouncing or her fingers are drumming against her thigh.  “There was a doctor that was… well, he was thinking of talking.  Some of Red Room’s genetic experimentations were being done in the hospital.  An attempt to improve the best of the best.”  Maria comes from around her desk and sits down next to Natasha, her hands resting on her knees, but there if Natasha wants to hold one.  “In the ward… there were so many.  Girls of different ages and in varying stages of… I don’t know what.  But they were in pain.  Couldn’t move.  Couldn’t talk.  Too weak to do anything.  I – I couldn’t leave them there like that.  I set the place on fire to give them peace.  Ivan was very displeased.”  That’s putting it mildly, Ivan had been enraged.  She’d set Red Room research back years.  Maria takes her hand.  

“We’ll deal with whatever happens together” assures Maria.  Natasha watches Maria’s face for cues.  Any hint of judgement or pity or… anything, but she sees nothing but kindness.  


	29. Adoration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Someone has a crush on Maria.

Every so often, there will be a promising agent who shadows Maria for a couple of days.  

Natasha hasn’t even bothered to learn his name, but she’s noticed.  It’s cute.  When it comes to orders and tactics, he thinks well on his feet and is methodical when it comes to considering all options.  Natasha is impressed since most are jarred when Maria asks their opinion.  Shadowing usually means not being heard or seen for the most part, but taking everything in.  

Most people know of Natasha’s relationship with Maria, to the extent that they’re close.  No one would dare speculate how close, but she has a feeling the young agent knows.  

He doesn’t do anything inappropriate, on ogling or staring.  When it comes to the job he’s entirely focused.  When he’s at lunch though, while Maria is still in the food line, Natasha sees him watching her.  It’s a look of admiration, of awe. 

Maria would find the whole thing silly if Natasha told her.  “He likes women who bark orders and threaten to kick people off the carrier?”  Maria is always perplexed when people take a romantic interest in her.  The cute part is that, unless the question is work related, the young agent can’t bare to look her in the eye.  

She can’t fault his taste.  His crush will pass, mainly due to Maria’s obliviousness.  Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of Maria’s assistant Patrice, but that’s something different altogether.  


	30. Picking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How about that one?"   
> "No"   
> "Come on Natasha, we've been walking for HOURS"   
> "You've been through worse Carter"   
> "Just pick something and go with it, I'm sure Maria would like whatever you picked, hell make it if you want to!"   
> "It has to be perfect"   
> "God it's not like we're shopping for an engagement ring!" "..."   
> "...we're not shopping for an engagement thing are we?!"

“Natasha!!”  

“I’m trying to pick a ring here Carter.”  

“Natasha!  Are you serious?”  

“No, I’m contemplating spending a huge chunk of change on a thumb ring” snarks Natasha.  

“And I’m here because?”

“You know Maria best and Kevin is probably just as clueless as I am when it comes to jewelry.”  

“I mean why isn’t Pepper here?” whispers Sharon.  

“Because as many secrets as Pepper has under her hat, this will have her squealing and planning the wedding.  All I need is Pepper announcing it and making arrangements before I’ve even asked…” Natasha looks up from the display case.  “She will say yes, right?  Right?  I mean there’s no point me buying this thing if she’s-”  

“Of course she’s going to say yes, you moron!”  Sharon gives Natasha a good punch, one that has the spy staggering and the employee behind the counter looking up.  

“Alright, alright.  So help me pick something!”


	31. Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Maria is in desperate need of help.

It had been a long day but at least the mission had gone well and was over.

Natasha had been partnered with Kevin on this one and they had decided to have a post mission drink to wind down the day.  Suddenly there’s a frantic banging on the door.  Kevin sets his beer down and reaches for his gun.  Natasha has hers out and retreats into one of the other room.  She’s just out of sight, but ready should anything happen, listening to what happens in the room. The frantic knocking continues.  There’s the sound of footsteps and then Kevin opens the door.  

“Maria?”

“Kevin-”

“Maria what’s going on?  You’ve got blood on you-”  Natasha is just about to come out when Maria speaks.    

“There was a man in my apartment.  A Russian guy looking for Natasha.  I’m guessing Red Room wants her back.  Look, if anyone asks, I was here with you, okay?  All night”  Natasha can barely breathe.  It seems like the world stopped, and she can’t quite figure out what’s happening.  Or maybe the world is just spinning too fast.  

“Wait!  Wait.  Your place or -”

“An alias’s place but still, it’s a mess.  Kevin, listen to me.  Sharon only finds out about this if she is asked about what happened.  I don’t want the two of you trying to fix this.  Call Nat and tell her to lay low, alright?”  Maria dashes down the hall, right past Natasha and grabs a bag off the closet floor and then heads back out to the living room.  “I’ll call you when I know something more” says Maria, and then the door slams again.  

Kevin comes to the doorway where Natasha is still stuck.  

“I don’t- - I don’t know what’s going on, but you should stay here for now.”  Natasha snaps out of her stupor.  

“No.  If Red Room is here, Maria will need me.”  Kevin moves to stand in her way.  

“Look, Maria isn’t going to do this alone.  She’ll get help, but she doesn’t want you out in the open.  Who knows what-”  His phone begins to ring.  Kevin picks it up without bothering to look at the caller ID, still looking at Natasha.  

“Donnelly.”  

“ _She’s there, isn’t she?_ ” asks Maria.  “ _You had two beers out.  It took me a minute to realize…. Put her on._ ”  He hands the phone over to Natasha.  

“Hello?”


	32. Wound Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha coming home from a mission and (unsuccessfully) hiding how injured she is from Maria

Maria doesn’t buy it for a second.  She knows something is wrong, she just doesn’t know what yet.  

They’re eating take out and while you do sometimes have to lean over the container to keep the noodles from falling everywhere, there’s more to Natasha’s lean than that.  Maria squints at her while she eats and Natasha does her best not to shift under her gaze.  

“Off.”  

“What?” asks Natasha, but she knows the game is up.  

“Your top.  Off.  Let me see.”  Natasha carefully undoes her shirt and winces as Maria sucks in a breath.  

“You weren’t wearing your gear” says Maria as she goes for an ice pack.  She hadn’t been.  It had just been a normal day.  She’d been wandering the streets with Clint when someone recognized them.  It just happened to be someone they had double crossed while undercover.  Clint had bullet proof vests in his trunk for some reason (she learned long ago that she’s better off not asking) and tossed her one.  The bastard got a lucky shot in while Natasha was yelling for people to get down.  

Maria is back and looking at the large wound on her chest closely.  “I betting you didn’t stop by a hospital either…. You know how blunt force trauma works Nat.  Aside from the obvious, does it hurt anywhere else?  Your ribs feel okay?”  Natasha nods.  What they don’t tell you is that while bullet proof vests will stop most bullets, there’s still damage afterwards.  The bruises are large and look bad but it’s what’s under them that you have to worry about.  One shot, and you’ll be okay for the most part.  But say, two or three to the chest?  You have to worry about broken ribs and if they break there’s the possibility of a fragment puncturing your lungs.  Hit lower, and you worry about internal damage.  Kidneys and that sort of thing.  Might even be bleeding internally.  

It’s safe to say that Natasha has been hit more than once in her lifetime so Maria’s worry isn’t exactly misplaced.  She’ll heal up just fine but it’ll hurt like a bitch the entire time.  So she lets Maria do what she can.  Later in bed, Maria will be careful about where she touches her but will hold her all the same. That helps her heal more than anything and makes the rest bearable.  


	33. Destuction of Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: I’ve been watching the 100 and it got me thinking. Can you do one of the repercussions of HYDRA and the betrayal?

Maria’s trying not to irritated by the new recruits.  She’s also trying to not think about why they have new recruits.  

Following the reveal of HYDRA, Maria had stood on the bridge of her carrier.  There had been so many empty seats.  Agents that were either traitors or killed by them.  She looks to her right.  That’s where Jasper Sitwell used to sit.  She’s glad Natasha was the one to get to him.  Maria isn’t sure what she would have done if she’d had to face him.  

Jasper Sitwell is someone she would have listed as her top most trusted agents.  She knew all about where he grew up and his family.  His niece and nephews.  He’d been sitting right under her nose, sharing coffee in the mornings.  

The STRIKE teams and other agents.  Maria hadn’t let herself think about it when she was going in with Steve and Sam.  She didn’t think about how she knew the faces of the agents who came to try and stop her.  She’d fired without hesitation, just like she always did.  She pushed the thoughts, the names Bradshaw and Ruiz out of her mind as the bodies fell and wheeled back to the console.  

She’s tired of funerals.  After New York there had been a mass funeral for all the agents they had lost.  In secret of course.  Now that veil is gone.  She expects there will be another mass funeral for the fallen.  This time the press and cameras will be unavoidable.  It’ll take away from the fact that these people sacrificed and fought to keep the world safe from the likes of Loki or other villains like Vanko.  All that would be remembered, all that would be seen is that all these people were part of a secret.  The thing that also bugs her is how many of them are real?  How many of the fallen are heroes and how many are traitors that were stopped?  It makes her stomach churn.  

Natasha has been staying with her for now.  They’ve both been labeled persons of interest in the federal investigation.  They’ve gotten word to Clint to lay low and Steve is stowed away in a hospital with Sam at his side still.  Natasha looks ready to run every time Maria comes home and Maria is at a loss when it comes to reasons she should stay.  They’d promised to keep her safe when she defected.  Instead she’d been forced to reveal every sordid detail of her past on the internet.  Maria doesn’t know what to say.  They’d failed her.  

She can feel Nick Fury standing behind her.  

“Let’s do this again.  But this time let’s do this right.”  Maria nods and sets about making a list of requirements for the new recruits.  


	34. Markings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soul mate Names on Body

It was years before Maria would know the significance of the name _Natasha Romanoff_.  

When the name appeared on her body, she hadn’t even really noticed. There had been a faint itchy feeling on her neck, but it was really Sharon who had noticed it and that was only because she had her hair up in a high pony tail while they were on their run. Sharon had practically tackled her and forced her to bend over so she could get a closer look. The words _Natasha Romanoff_ are written at her neck, right where her hair ends, near the nape of her neck. Figures they wouldn’t be somewhere, you know, where Maria could actually see them herself.

Keep in mind, this is all pre-Google, so Maria couldn’t look up who her soul mate is, although it’s doubtful that the assassin who is already making a name for herself would appear on an internet search. Aunt Peggy gets an odd look on her face when Maria shows her, but says nothing.

* * *

The name of Natasha’s soul mate appears on her left foot next to her Achilles tendon. Some would say it’s poetic, but an operative of Red Room doesn’t have time for such things. It doesn’t matter anyway, since the moment Natasha is noticed looking at it, the Matron takes her to have it burned off. Natasha does her best to commit the name to memory, but over time and due to Red Room conditioning, it fades, but is never completely gone. Neither is the name. It’s positioning makes it a that much harder for her to dance as the burn heals. She’s irritated by the placement, but not the person. As she ledger fills with names, the name remains. She knows because she checks.

Despite everything she’s done and continues to do, the name stays and she has to resort to covering it with make up when on missions. There is someone out there in the world for her. She knows that with her skill set, it’s doubtful they will ever meet, and that her soul mate, this _Maria Hill_ , is probably better off without her, but it still brings her comfort. She isn’t alone in the universe, she isn’t so tarnished that no one will ever want her.

* * *

Years later, what seems like ages later, the two meet. They are no longer young girls and have scars all over their pasts and bodies. They have ghosts that haunt them and the names of their soul mates are something they haven’t thought about in a long time. Natasha only really remembers the letters _M_ and _H_ , which is why when she meets Nick Fury’s right hand, she doesn’t put it together immediately. The name _Natasha Romanoff_ means something to Maria, but as a person of interest to SHIELD rather than the name of her soul mate.

Maria’s soul mate name is normally covered by her hair, so no one else notices either. At least until Sharon comes back from a mission and yanks Maria nearly off her feet as she pulls her into Maria’s office. Despite Sharon’s slightly alarmed babbling, Maria has no idea what she’s talking about until Sharon has made her bend over again and snaps a picture of her mark with her phone. Shoving it in front of Maria’s face, Sharon waits for Maria to put it together. Maria pulls the phone back so that her eyes can actually focus, and then it registers. _Natasha Romanoff_. The Black Widow is her soul mate.

Natasha is having a similar experience in the temporary quarters they’ve given her. The medical team had poked and prodded at her until she has half tempted to hit them, taking blood and vitals for their records. Changing into a pair of SHIELD issue sweats, she spots the name on the back of her ankle. The area is mostly scar tissue from multiple burnings, but the name always appeared again as it healed. _Maria Hill_.

* * *

When Maria and Natasha come face to face again, neither of them mention it, but both seem to know. They are each other’s soul mates, but Maria refuses to let that interfere with her duty and Natasha believes that notions such as love are for children.

Over time, the two begin to trust each other while doing missions and various field work. By the time New York happens, Maria can hardly hide her concern when the aliens attack and nuke heads towards the city. Natasha worries after Maria when Nick is attacked and feels her heart leave her throat when she finds Maria at the hospital. It isn’t until shortly before Ultron that the two are able to go on an actual date though.


End file.
